What are Nuclear Batteries and Batteries?
In a nuclear battery, our fuel is a radioactive element and its derivatives. Considering the half-life of the elements used in the nuclear battery, the lifetime of nuclear batteries is calculated in the order of years.
In order to understand nuclear batteries, it would be appropriate to first remember what a classic battery is.
What is a Battery?
A "battery" is a device that can convert chemical energy into electrical energy and store it. A battery system is the generation and storage of electrical energy through chemical reactions.
Electricity means the movement of electrons. Batteries work by undergoing a chemical reaction with the substances in the structure of the battery (zinc, silver, lithium, mercury, nickel, etc.) and the appropriate solution in the battery.
This reaction creates polarization between the positive and negative charges in the system, and when the two ends of the battery, the positive and negative ends (with some conductive material) are connected, electrons flow from the negative end to the positive end. This is how we generate electricity.
There are two main types of batteries: Disposable (primate) batteries and rechargeable (secondary) batteries.
Disposable (Primate) Batteries:
These batteries are usually discarded after use and cannot be recharged.
Examples include alkaline batteries (e.g. AA, AAA), zinc-carbon batteries and lithium disposable batteries.
They generate electricity through chemical reactions, but once discharged, they are usually discarded.
Rechargeable (Secondary) Batteries:
These batteries can be recharged and reused after use.
Examples include nickel-cadmium (NiCd), nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) and lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries.
Chemical reactions generate electricity, then when these batteries are charged, the chemical reactions are reversed, making the stored energy available again.
Batteries are widely used as power sources in cell phones, laptops, vehicles, remote-controlled devices and a range of electronic devices. Battery technologies are constantly being developed and diversified to provide the energy needed.
What is a nuclear battery?
An atomic battery, nuclear battery, radioisotope battery or radioisotope generator uses energy from the decay of a radioactive isotope to generate electricity. Like nuclear reactors, they generate electricity from nuclear energy, but differ from them in that they do not use a chain reaction. Although commonly known as batteries, they are technically not electrochemical and cannot be recharged. Until now, their cost has been too high, so they have mainly been used as power sources for devices that need to operate unattended for long periods of time, such as spacecraft, pacemakers, underwater systems and automated scientific stations in remote parts of the world.
We can think of a nuclear battery as "a device that converts radioactive radiation into electrical energy". In this process, nuclear radiation replaces the chemical process in conventional batteries. The nuclear radiation is converted into electrical energy by means of a thermoelectric generator (direct conversion of heat into electrical energy or vice versa). Our fuel in a nuclear battery is now a radioactive element and its derivatives. For this reason, if we consider the half-life of the elements we will use in our battery, the life of nuclear batteries will be years.
The term "nuclear battery or battery" usually refers to an energy source used for space exploration vehicles, deep-sea drilling devices and to meet isolated power needs in remote areas. This type of battery has a thermoelectric generator powered by radioactive material.
These systems usually generate energy by converting heat into electricity through thermoelectric couples. Radioactive material is usually used in these thermoelectric generators using isotopes such as plutonium-238. These isotopes have the capacity to provide long-lasting and reliable energy due to their long half-life and high energy density.
Nuclear batteries are usually produced by using radioactive isotopes in thermoelectric generators. Here is a general nuclear battery production process:
Radioactive Isotope Selection: The first step is the selection of radioactive isotopes, which are generally preferred for their long half-life and high energy density. In particular, isotopes such as plutonium-238 and strontium-90 can be used for such applications.
Radioactive Material Preparation: The selected radioactive isotope must be properly prepared. This means that the isotope must be safely handled, stored and made available at the end-use site.
Thermoelectric Generator Design and Manufacturing: The nuclear battery includes thermoelectric generators. These generators use thermoelectric pairs to convert heat into electricity. These pairs are usually composed of bimetals (BI-METAL; two completely different metals are combined in a single casting process during its production, a process of fusing steel with high-alloyed wear-resistant materials). The heat generated by the radioactive isotope is converted into electrical energy through these pairs.
Battery Design and Assembly: The thermoelectric generator is the main component of the battery. Battery design should generally be durable, safe and minimize environmental impacts. At this stage, the overall assembly of the battery, including other components, is carried out.
Testing and Certification: The manufactured nuclear battery must undergo various tests. These tests will be related to the safety, durability and performance of the battery. It may also undergo a certification process to verify compliance with standards set by regulatory bodies.
Adaptation to the Field of Use: Since nuclear batteries are often used in specialized applications such as space exploration or deep sea drilling, they are preferred for a specific mission or application.
The manufacturing processes of such batteries are usually strictly controlled by national and international regulators. The production of Nuclear batteries is therefore subject to special permits, safety standards and regulations.
Scientists at the National Research and Technology Institute in Moscow have developed a new generation of nuclear batteries to fill this energy gap. The nuclear battery project, which we have heard about in the past, was first put into use in the 1970s. The fact that its main substance was strontium and that it emitted a high amount of radiation at the same time received a lot of reaction from some quarters and was removed from use.
The nuclear batteries developed by Russia are said to be safer than older generations because they contain nickel-63 isotope as opposed to strontium. Of course, the mention of the word nuclear in an energy system will conjure up a sense of danger in people's minds for years to come. Although this is the case, the hunger for energy and the fact that nuclear batteries are suitable for use for at least 50 years seem to override the word trust.
Finally, the fact that nickel-63, the basic building material of nuclear batteries, is scarce in the natural environment makes things difficult. The fact that scientists can enrich the nickel-62 isotope in nuclear power plants and convert it into nickel-63 after chemical processing eliminates this problem.
What are the current studies on nuclear batteries?
China has developed a nuclear battery with a 50-year life span.
It is reported that the Betavolt BV100 nuclear battery produced with Nickel-63 isotope and diamond semiconductor material developed by China has a 50-year lifespan.
The Betavolt BV100 battery produced by the Chinese company Betavolt is expected to take its place in the markets as the first product produced using nickel-63 isotope and diamond semiconductor material. Betavolt's nuclear battery will target aerospace, artificial intelligence devices, medical, Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, smart sensors, small drones and robots. Ultimately, this means that manufacturers will be able to produce smartphones and automobiles that never need to be charged, and we will no longer have to worry about charging.
The idea of an electronic product that can go 50 years without recharging seems pretty incredible. However, the BV100 battery, which is in pilot production before mass production, does not offer much power for now. This 15 x 15 x 5mm battery provides 100 microwatts of power at 3 volts. The company emphasizes that multiple BV100 batteries can be used together in series or in parallel, depending on device requirements. Betavolt also says it plans to launch a 1-watt variant of its nuclear battery in 2025.
The Betavolt BV100 is essentially a revolutionary and disruptive product in two ways. First, and most obviously, it offers 50 years of safe, maintenance-free use. Secondly, it uses diamond semiconductor material for the first time in its design. The company has announced that it is using 4th generation diamond semiconductor material.
In fact, for the nuclear battery (also called nuclear battery, atomic battery or radioisotope battery), Betavolt states in its press release that the nuclear battery is very different from similar power cells developed by the US and USSR in the 1960s. For example, some old technology atomic batteries used Plutonium as a radioactive power source. Betavolt claims that the BV100 is safe for consumers and will not leak radiation even if the battery is somehow punctured.
This safety is due to the choice of materials. Betavolt's battery uses the nickel-63 isotope as the energy source, which is transformed into a stable copper isotope. According to the company, this and the diamond semiconductor material help the BV100 to operate stably in environments ranging from - 60 to 120 degrees Celsius. According to Betavolt, this battery technology is far ahead of the technology of academic and commercial institutions in Europe and America.
So how does Betavolt produce this battery? We have already mentioned the basic materials, but the diagram illustrates the process perfectly. It can be seen that the BV100 is made by placing a 2 micron thick nickel-63 sheet between two diamond semiconductor converters. This structure is based on Betavolt's unique single-crystal diamond semiconductor, which is only 10 microns thick.
Ultimately, this nuclear battery is not impressive in terms of maximum power output, but the fact that it has been built at all is very promising for the future. Betavolt says it is also exploring isotopes such as strontium-90, promethium-147 and deuterium to develop nuclear energy batteries with more energy and longer service life of up to 2030 years.
As for energy density... Currently, an average betavoltaic battery can achieve more than 400 times the energy density of an average lithium AA battery. Another advantage of nuclear batteries is their size. They take up thousands of times less space than solar cells and chemical batteries.
This incredible reduction in size means enormous lightness and almost infinite energy in electronics and vehicles.
Nuclear energy on the Moon
NASA-USA has announced that it has reached the end of the design phase of a project to develop a concept for a small, electricity-generating nuclear fission reactor (https://strasam.org/egitim/bilim/nukleer-fisyon-nedir-nukleer-fuzyon-nedir-2690) for use on the Moon. The Fission Surface Power project aims to develop safe, clean and reliable energy sources on the Moon, where each night lasts about 14.5 Earth days. Such a system is planned to play a major role in the agency's Artemis program for lunar exploration.
In 2022, NASA and the US Department of Energy announced the signing of contracts with three companies - Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse and IX - for the first phase of nuclear power on the Moon. These three companies have been tasked with providing an initial design for a reactor and subsystems, estimated costs, and a development program that could pave the way for continuously powering a human presence on the lunar surface for at least 10 years.
As is well known, lunar nights are very harsh, and therefore having a power source such as this nuclear reactor that operates independently of the Sun is critical to any long-term lunar presence effort. Such a reactor would be particularly useful at the Moon's south pole, where the permanently shadowed regions are thought to trap water ice and other volatiles.
NASA next plans to extend the Phase 1 contracts to set the direction of the project for Phase 2, which includes the final reactor design for a lunar experiment. Solicitations for Phase 2 are targeted to begin in 2025. NASA has indicated that the target date for delivering a reactor to the launch pad after Phase 2 is the early 2030s.
The agency has set requirements for a 40-kilowatt reactor using low-enriched uranium and weighing no more than 6 tons. A 40-kilowatt reactor could provide electricity for 33 households under today's conditions.
NASA's nuclear plans are not limited to the installed reactor. The agency is also working on the launch of a nuclear-powered spacecraft called DRACO in early 2026. NASA has also recently contracted Rolls Royce North American Technologies, Brayton Energy and General Electric to develop the more efficient Brayton power converters needed to convert the thermal power from nuclear fission into electricity.
Conclusion
The development and introduction of nuclear batteries for energy means the production of an infinite vehicle that does not need charging.
Developments in this field will bring many changes to the world's understanding of economy, logistics, agriculture, space, aviation and production.
Developments in the field of nuclear batteries will also open the door to many innovations in the space travels of mankind outside the world and in the studies to be carried out in space.
In addition, it will be easier to establish settlement centers outside the world, such as the Moon and Mars, and rockets and ships that can carry more materials to far distances will be built. By solving the fuel and energy problems in these ships, the problems of finding water and heating in space will also be easily solved.
